Hackney Council is carrying out further consultation on proposals to reduce traffic and improve road safety in Walford Road, Brighton Road and Nevill Road.

The consultation comes after an April decision by the Council’s Cabinet to carry out further consultation on option B of the original Walford Road proposals, which were previously consulted on in December 2017 and January 2018.

The proposals, if implemented, would see road closures introduced on Nevill Road between Clonbrock Road and Osterley Road, on Clonbrock Road at its junction with Nevill Road, and on Allen Road at its junction with Nevill Road.

This would reduce traffic on Walford Road, Brighton Road and the southern part of Nevill Road, which currently suffer from rat-running traffic and associated road safety issues, making them better for walking and cycling, especially along Cycle Superhighway 1.

If the proposal were to be implemented, the section of the CS1 on Nevill Road between Allen Road and Osterley Road would no longer be used as a rat-run. This would be likely to reduce the amount of traffic, reduce vehicle speeds and reduce the likelihood of crashes on or near that stretch of road.

While the proposal would reduce traffic in some roads, including roads other than Walford, Nevill and Brighton Roads, there would be an increase in the amount of traffic in some parts of the surrounding area. This would have an effect on air quality in these roads. As a consequence the Council commissioned air quality modelling, which was carried out by air quality consultants CERC. This is available to view in the consultation documents.

The Council has been carrying out additional engagement with local people over the summer on its successful bid to the Mayor of London’s Air Quality Fund to reduce traffic on Stoke Newington Church Street and proposals to introduce School Streets at William Patten and St Mary’s schools.

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Back in April, the Cabinet approved further consultation on the Walford Road scheme so residents can weigh up the benefits of the proposals alongside traffic and air quality modelling.

These proposals are aimed at reducing traffic on Walford Road, Nevill Road and Brighton Road, which currently suffer from rat-running and aggressive driving, and improving safety for pedestrians and cyclists in the area, which has seen 51 crashes resulting in personal injury from September 2015 to September 2018, not to mention countless others that haven’t been reported.

To complement the proposals, we have successfully bid for the Mayor of London’s Air Quality Fund to develop a package of measures to reduce traffic in Stoke Newington Church Street, which we’ve been talking to local residents about over the summer. We have also been consulting on introducing School Streets at William Patten and St Mary’s schools.

I’d urge everyone to have their say on the proposals for the Walford Road area.

Cllr Jon Burke, Cabinet Member for Energy, Waste, Transport and Public Realm